Paperboard serving tray



June 27, 1950 I w. L. PEIKE'R I 2,512,963

, PAPERBOARD SERVING TRAY Filed Oct. 11, 1948 v I0 Fig. a

'l1 l6 i "LEI "L F'r2r 24 2 s 324 27-1 I JNVENTOR.

Fig. 4 WALTER L. PEIKER ATTORNEY Patented June 27, 1950 PAPERBOARDSERVING TRAY Walter L. Peiker, Lakewood, Colo., assignor to ContinentalPaper Products Company, Denver, 0010., a corporation of ColoradoApplication October 11, 1948, Serial No. 53,799

1 Claim. (01.229-28) This invention relates to trays for the serving andhandling of foods and drinks, and more particularly to such traysadapted for use where customers are served exteriorly of the purveyingestablishment, as at drive-ins," locations giving curb service, and thelike, and has 'as an object to provide an improved, low-cost,dispensible tray unit emciently arranged for the simultaneousaccommodation of foods and drinks.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved serving trayconstruction susceptible of development from paper-board and analogouslow-cost sheet material.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved serving traysusceptible of production in compact, flat, unit form subsequentlyerectible into form for practical use.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved dispensible,paper-board, serving tray adaptable to facile production in a variety ofsizes and capacities.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists inthe construction, arrangement, and combination of elements hereinafterset forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated by the accompanyingdrawing, in which- Figure 1 is an isometric view oi. a typical em suchas paper-board, having the properties of strength and rigidity pertinentto the tray size and ultimate use, which sheet is scored with foldlines, incised, and trimmed, conveniently in a single mechanicaloperation common in the manthe bottom of the ultimate tray, said area lhaving a dimension longitudinally of the blank equal to the width of thefinished tray and a dimension laterally of the blank determinative ofthe tray length. The end of the blank adjacent the area Ill extendsbeyond said area a short distance to provide a relatively narrowattaching tab it transversely of the blank and separated from the saidarea by a score line l2 perpendicular to the area-limiting, trimmed edgeof the blank, and a score line i3 spacedly paralleling said line I!separates the area In from the remainder of the blank. At the side ofthe area remote from the blank trimmed edge forming one side of saidarea, a lateral extension of the blank material is provided as a wing i4separated from said area by a score line l5 spacedly paralleling thearea trimmed edge, said wing having a length longitudinally of the blankthe same as the corresponding area Ill dimension and a width laterallyoi the blank, determined by a score line It spacedly and outwardlyparalleling the line i5, equal to and determinative of the depth desiredfor the finished tray. The blank material forming the wing it continuesbeyond the score line it as a relatively narrow, locking tab l1,coextensive in length with said wing, whereof the free margin is trimmedto generally parallel the area Ill trimmed edge and may be arcuatelyrelieved, as at It, for reasons that will hereinafter appear.

Paralleling the score line I3 at a distance therefrom corresponding withthe width of the wing ufacture of paper products, to outline and defineIt, a score line I! determines a central area of the blank in a size andrelationship to constitute a side wall 20 of the tray, the material ofsaid wall 20 projecting laterally at each side of the blank beyond scorelines 2! aligned respectively with the score line l5 and the trimmededge of the area ill to provide locking tabs 22 whereof 1 the projectedmargins are trimmed and cut away from adjacent blank material to permitthe said tabs to fold on their score lines 2| into perpendicularrelation with the wall 20.

A trimmed blank long margin aligned with the score line l5 and colinearline 2i and a spacedly parallel score line 23 aligned with the area Illtrimmed edge and colinear score line 2: cooperate with aperpendicularly-related score line 24 spacedly paralleling the line isto define a blank area 25 equalling the area. I in size and shape andspaced from the latter by the wall 2., said area 25 constituting the topof the finished tray, and a wing ll, identical with that formed on oneside of the area Ill, projects laterally of the blank from the area 25with its score line l outwardly paralleling the line 23 and its lockingtab II projected from the blank side opposite that interrupted by thecorresponding'wing of the 'yond the opposite ends of said area 26, thuscom pleting the outline of the tray blank.

It is to be noted that the tray blank outline is ,such as to permit ofits being cut efliciently, and

with minimum waste, from stock sheets or rolls of the material employed,the wing and tab projections of the blank being so arranged as tointerflt with the outline of an adjacent or successive like blank. v

To condition the tray top area 25 for the intended use of the unit, saidarea'is centrally cut or incised, longitudinally of the blank, to form aline of separation 28 spanning between th score lines I9 and 24, andcentral portions of said score lines are cut through the material, as at29, on each side of the line 28 and to the intersection therewith ofscore lines 30 traversing th area 25 in parallelism with andvon oppositesides of the line28 at like distances outwardly from the latto." equalto the wing H width, said cuts 28 and 29' hence cooperating with thescore lines 33 to define opposed flaps 3| foldable independently in operpendicular relation with the area 25. The rectangular area 25portions at the sides of the flaps 3| are formed withsymmetricallyarranged, circular openings 32, four such beingillustrated, of a size to receive and support a drink container, such asapaper cup, and T- shaped incisions 33 are spaced apart to close withtheir stems against the score lines 30 in intersecting relation with thearea 25 portions adjacent the flaps 3 I.

Completing the working of the blank, each wing I4 is similarly andcentrally incised along the outer margin and both ends of an elongatpanel 34 sized to open accommodation for the human fingers. and theinner margin of each said panels is defined by a score line 35 bridgingbetween the panel end incisions as a line of weakness whereon theassociated panel may fold out of coplanar relation with its wing II.

Working and conditioning of the tray blank having been completed asillustrated by Figure 4 and above described, the production processesare concluded through interconnection of the opposite blank ends. Theblank is folded on the two score lines I 2 and ill, or, alternatively,on the two lines l3 and 24, it being immaterial which pair of lines isemployed, to bring the two major areas l0 and 25 of the blank intonon-registered super,- position and the trimmed edge margin of the area25 into alignment with the score line l2 in overlapping relation of thearea 26 outer portion on and over the tab ll, whereafter said tab is adhesively, or otherwise, secured to the area 26 overlying portion tocomplete the unit, as a flat,

compact item convenient of storage and transportation. ready for theuser.

As supplied to the user, the top and bottom areas of the tray are insuperposition and out of registration by the width of one of the sidewall units 20 and 26 with thewings l4 and tabs 22 projecting in coplanarrelation with their respective areas from opposite sides of the unit. Tocondition the tray for use, the unemployed, transverse score lines arebrought into play with consequent registration of the areas Ill and 25in a spaced relation determined b the side walls 20 and 26perpendicularly connecting therebetween, whereafter the tabs 22 arefolded on their score lines 2| and 21 to enter and engage between theareas III and 25 in perpendicular projection from their respective walls20 and 26, the tabs II are bent'on their score lines [5 inwardlytowardthe assembly and into perpendicular relation with their wings ll, saidwings are bent on their score lines I5 and 23 toward the assembly andinto perpendicular relation with their respective areas I and 25,thereby entering the tabs I! under onev or the other of said areas tointerlock with margins of the tabs 22 and dispose the wings II as endclosures for a rectangular box, and the flaps 3! are pressed inwardlyinto perpendicular relation with their area 25 portions, hinging ontheir score lines 30, to free, long margin engagement with the innersurface of the area I0, thus quickly and easily erecting the tray foruse.

As should be obvious, the circular openings 32 through'the top of theerected tray conveniently receive and adequately support cups orcontainers charged with either hot or cold drinks, it being convenient,when desired, to form smaller, supplementary holes through the area 25portions for the reception of containers charged with sugar, cream, andthe like, and the open central area of the tray defined between thebottom I 0, flaps 3i, and side walls 20 and 26 effectively andconveniently accommodates sandwiches, chips, and like comestiblescharacteristic of lunch orders', while the T-shaped cuts 33 yield to theintroduction of and operate to hold and support paper or woodenutensils, soda straws, and analogous facilities. Transportation andmanipulation of the charged tray is facilitated by the provision ofpanels 34 which readily swing inward about their score lines 35 inresponse to finger-tip pressures and open a passage through which thefingers may naturally engage to lift and move the tray.

The association of perpendicularly-related, interlocked top, bottom,side wall, end wall, and tab elements, supplemented by theuniquely-positioned flaps 3|, provides a tray of adequate strength andrigidity, even when sheet material of light weight and nominal cost isemployed in the production of the blank, which, together with thesimplicity of manufacture, contributes to the provision of a dispensibleunit employable to obviate the complications, expense, and annoyancesincident to conventional serving practices.

Since changes, variations, and modifications in the form, construction,and arrangement of the elements shown and described may be had withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, I wish to be understood asbeing limited solely b the scope of the appended claim, rather than byany details of the illustrative showing and foregoing description.

I claim as my invention:

A serving tray comprising a shallow, rectangular, paper-board fold-boxcharacterized y spacedly-parallel, coextensive top and bottom areasfold-locked against separation and spacedly-parallel end closuresperpendicular to said top and bottom areas, a food-receiving compartmentopening centrally and transversely through the 5 REFERENCES CITED v Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 521,141 Fitch June 5, 1894649,462 Laden et a1 May 15, 1900 909,664 7 Porter Jan. 12, 19091,136,099 Carter Y Apr. 20, 1915 1,892,092 Barad Dec. 27, 1932 1,901,583Conway Mar. 14, 1933 2,355,206 Davidson Aug. 8, 1944 2,366,557 Rau Jan.2, 1945

